Momofuku Ko Review

Overall rating: 93

Food rating: 94

Momofuku Ko: Great, tiny restaurant in New York City's East Village

If you're reading this and considering going to Momofuku Ko, you are likely well aware of the difficulty in making reservations (just has 12 seats at a bar around the kitchen; you use their online system to sign up and reservations open at 10am ten days before dinner seatings [or 14 days before lunch seatings]), that it has held two Michelin stars for years, and is considered one of the best restaurants in NYC.

I knew we'd be in NY this past weekend, and at 10am ten days earlier, having previously registered on their system, I went online and had no problems quickly making a reservation for Saturday evening.

Before I started down that path, I'd had to learn which Momofuku restaurant was the one with the Michelin stars, since there are something like five Momofukus in NYC, all considered excellent. We had never been to a restaurant with a Michelin star and wanted to see what it was like. As restaurants like this go in NYC, Momofuku Ko isn't insanely expensive. Also, Tim Maslow, chef behind Strip T's and Ribelle, had been chef de cuisine at Momofuku Ssäm bar before returning to Boston, and those are two of our favorite Boston restaurants.

Momofuku Ko is tiny and they don't let you take pictures. There is almost nothing on the door to indicate the existence of the restaurant, save a small two letters reading "Ko". We entered and were greeted immediately by a friendly hostess who confirmed that we had a reservation and seated us. There are only stools at a bar. Ten of the seats run deep from the doorway along the length of the bar; we were at the two just in from the doorway that make an L from the bar.

There were four chefs working in the kitchen, plus at least two or three other support staff clearing, taking drink orders, etc., and the service was impeccable. Ko is casual with no dress code. I was wearing pants with shoes and a button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and was the most formally dressed man in the restaurant. Women were dressed similarly informally.

As soon as we sat down we were offered a drink menu, and we selected a half bottle of a Gruner Veltliner that was very good. There is no menu at Ko, they just start bringing food, though do ask if you have any allergies/intolerances.

One of the chefs came over early on and explained that we would be getting a few items before the start of the meal. A few turned out to be five or six items including pork rinds, a sesame cracker, and a delicious soup shooter.

The meal then began with small item after small item showing up. The meal was very heavily fish based with raw or nearly raw fish items that were delicious, a wonderful smoky broth with a poached egg, and a very rare piece of duck as the main non-fish protein. About midway through the meal, with the broth, there was some very light sourdough bread served that was great. There was a course with foie gras that was frozen and then shaved and this was remarkably good. There were two desserts including a chocolate "cake" that was millimeters high but really did taste cake like, and a meringue that was wonderful.

The food was fresh and tasty, with appropriate but not overwhelming flavorings and the preparations were excellent and interesting. The music level in the restaurant was loud enough to make conversations private, and the selection seemed right for people of our age and (outdated) tastes.

My wife talked a lot with the chefs asking various questions about preparation of the food. One of the chefs we dealt with was very new there (three weeks) and was friendly and fun to talk to (and was originally from the South Shore in Massachusetts). The other, who is listed on the website as the sous chef at Ko and seemed to be in charge of the service, was more knowledgeable but less friendly and was from Chicago. It actually made the evening less fun that he was less engaged, since if you are going to be right up at the kitchen with all the chefs you'd like to be able to interact in a fun meal.

The prix fixe before tax and tip is $125 per person for dinner (more for lunch, which has more courses), and the half bottle of wine was $32. That made this a very expensive dinner for Boston, but seemed pretty reasonable for this level of quality in NYC.

We've now been to a restaurant with Michelin stars and it was really wonderfully good. We now also have a better comparator for our favorite restaurant in Boston, T.W. Food. For me, at least, I'd wondered if going to a restaurant like this in NY would explain why you see occasional reviews of TW suggesting that real foodies wouldn't want to go there. I can now confirm that those reviews/opinions are snooty, inane, or both. The food at Ko was much more fish based than TW, but the overall quality was quite similar to what you would get at TW from a tasting menu. I slightly prefer the food at TW, though some of that is just the kind of food I like (less fish, more other proteins). I also somewhat prefer the ambiance at TW, though the setup at Ko is a lot of fun as well.

Overall, we had a great time and a great meal at Momofuku Ko, but while I have the sense that there are many more spectacular restaurants in NYC than in Boston, I have no sense that we should be jealous for having an easy time getting to TW and a long, long ride to a place like Ko. I wouldn't trade, though would be quite happy to have Ko available in Boston.

Sweet Basil review

Overall rating: 75

Food rating: 75

Sweet Basil: Good Italian food in Needham

I've heard of Sweet Basil as a great option for food in Needham Center, but had missed that it serves Italian food and not Thai. I was feeling foolish about this until mentioning the restaurant to several colleagues at lunch, all of whom thought Sweet Basil served Thai food. I think there's a marketing opportunity there for the restaurant.

Sweet Basil doesn't take reservations and is known to have long waits, but we were headed to do some shopping in Needham Center early evening on a weeknight, so we decided to give it a try. The online reviews are mostly incredibly favorable.

The restaurant was empty and so we were quickly seated. The staff were friendly and helpful. There were two nice breads served with a pesto sauce that was excellent. For an appetizer we got the mussels. The portion was very large and the mussels themselves were fresh and delicious, and the preparation was good, though not particularly special. The broth was wonderful to dip the bread in, but the mussels didn't pick up the flavors from the broth all that much.

For a main, I ordered the lamb shank, which was enormous and was served with a soft polenta and some vegetables. The polenta and vegetables were very good. The lamb was fine, but nothing special. My wife got a vegetable risotto that was nicely prepared and good but not great. Sweet Basil doesn't serve desserts.

Overall, this is a decent Italian restaurant, particularly for a place that serves such large portions (often a marker of less good Italian food). However, the online reviews make it seem much better than we experienced. I would be happy to eat at Sweet Basil again, but would not wait on line to do so, and there are many Italian restaurants at a similar distance from us that we prefer. As a neighborhood restaurant for those living in Needham Center, it seems like a nice place to go for a meal.

Speakeasy Review

Overall rating: 91

Food rating: 85

Speakeasy: Great place to eat in Barcelona

I was in Barcelona for a conference two years ago, and a group of us ended up at Speakeasy. Two years later, the same conference was again being held in Barcelona. Those of us who had gone before talked up the restaurant and 15 people ended up going there for dinner.

Speakeasy calls itself a "clandestine" restaurant befitting its (US) prohibition-era name. To get there, you go into the bar "Dry Martini", and walk through a door in the back, past the kitchen, and then through another door:

At that point, you are in a beautiful hidden dining room:

Bottles of alcohol line the walls, appropriate for a speakeasy:

When we were there two years ago, the experience was fantastic. We were in a private room, the food was spectacular, and the drinks were great.

On this recent visit, the food was very good, but not really amazing, but the overall experience was again wonderful. Because of the large crowd, we had a restricted tasting menu with eight "snacks" we all received, plus a limited choice of mains and deserts.

The snacks started with a mascarpone and tomato profiterole that was tasty, followed by two small mussels served with onions that was a bit overwhelmed by the onions but good. A shrimp croquette prepared with squid ink was interesting and good, while a ham croquette was pretty standard. A ham and tomato flat bread was tasty, a crusty bread and cheese plate was very good, and a prawn was tasty but again standard. Overall the snacks were very nice but nothing outstanding.

A parmigiana cream dish before the main course was small and very rich but quite good. For a main, many of us tried the suckling pig prepared with mango and avocado, which was the most interesting sounding of the mains:

It was prepared so that the skin was crispy and the meat was soft. It was quite fatty as you might expect, and was good but not outstanding. I also tried an Angus fillet that again was quite good:

Many of us got a cocktail before dinner (I mention this because we ended up also getting cocktails paired with dinner). Our waiter recommended a passion fruit mojito, but this was overly sweet. For the paired cocktails, we got an apple martini (gin) that was excellent, some form of gin gimlet that was prepared with separate layers so that you could mix it yourself, which was very good, and a mango drink with gin that was wonderful and very interesting tasting. But for all the gin (not my favorite alcohol) the drinks were great. Overall there was probably not that much alcohol in each drink (and the drinks were small for these pairings), since we were all able to walk out after the meal.

There were also two kinds of nice bread served with the meal.

The dessert options were Catalan custard cream or cheesecake with mango ice cream:

I ordered the former, but got to also have the latter (minus the ice cream) when a friend was too full to eat more.

The cheesecake was really excellent. The Catalan cream, in contrast, was one of the best desserts I've ever eaten. It was fluffy and light, with textures of fruit within it, and the tastes were perfectly balanced. Just amazing.

Dinner was expensive, but we had a lot of cocktails. Overall it was $140 per person including tax and a low tip (we're in Spain). Prices in Barcelona are not high for pretty good food, but for the experience of a restaurant like this once every two years, it seemed worth it, if not exactly a good value.

Overall, if you're looking for a fun place to eat in Barcelona and are willing to pay the expense, I would definitely go to Speakeasy. We all pretty much made plans to come again if the conference happens in Barcelona in the future. The food was only good, but the location was wonderful, the drinks were great, and the Catalan custard cream was amazing. I think this restaurant received the largest increase from "food rating" to "overall rating" of all the reviews I have posted.

Sarma Review

Overall rating: 86

Food rating: 85

Sarma: Middle Eastern tapas in Somerville

Sarma is the new restaurant from Ana Sortun and Cassie Piuma. Their Inman Square restaurant Oleana has some of the best food in Boston, and so Sarma has opened to a lot of expectations and with a lot of buzz.

Four of us went out to Sarma knowing that we would want to share multiple small plates. Most dishes with individual pieces are aimed at three people, but for an additional charge you can get a fourth piece. The basic structure of ordering small dishes that arrive in no particular order is quite similar to Myers+Chang and Ribelle. I'm not sure what I think of this trend, as the lack of an order leads to a loss of progression of the meal, and while I'm sure this is freeing for the staff, I'm not convinced it leads to as nice a dining experience. Three plates per person, plus additional specials that circulate like dim sum (we got three of these) was plenty of food for our group.

Sarma is located in the Gilman Square area of Somerville, a place I'm not sure I'd ever been before. On street parking was a bit tight but could be found. The restaurant itself is light and spacious, but quickly filled up and was fairly noisy. There is seating at a bar surrounding the opening to the kitchen.

We ordered drinks to start, and the specialty cocktails were excellent. Almost immediately, a food special came around (sesame fried chicken) that was delicious. Warm Middle Eastern bread came next that was good but not all that interesting.

We had many plates, some of which were excellent (hot dates, bay scallops, braised beef crepe), some of which were quite good (pumpkin fritters, fava bean paté, Brussels' sprouts bravas, mushroom lamejun, fatoush), and some of which were dull or only okay (Harissa BBQ duck, chicken wings [a special], lamb ribs).

Overall, the dishes were fairly heavy on cream sauces and many had similar spicing, but mostly it was an enjoyable meal with good food. The dessert menu is limited, and we decided not to have dessert.

The waitstaff were attentive and helpful, and our waiter somehow remembered the entire table's orders without writing anything down.

Prices were reasonable. For a group of four, including three mixed drinks and one beer and with tax but before tip, the meal cost $200.

Our small group was split on whether we would come back. Sarma is a long drive for us, and that would make it unlikely I'd plan a dinner there again, but if I were meeting someone who made reservations there I would definitely look forward to the meal. Overall, though, the meals we've had at Oleana have been much more exciting, despite the tight quarters and noise at that restaurant.

Hamersley's Bistro Review

Overall rating: 92

Food rating: 93

Hamersley's Bistro: Wonderful South End restaurant with meals that range from very good to great

We go to Hamersley's several times a year, but somehow I haven't gotten around to reviewing it.

Hamersley's is in the South End, which means parking can be a hassle if you don't want to pay to valet park. I know lots of people who rarely head to the South End for this reason, but Hamersley's makes it worth the trip.

The interior at Hamersley's is quite large with most seats in the main dining area providing a view of the open kitchen. The atmosphere is fairly upscale and formal, and people are dressed anywhere from casual to suits and ties.The noise level is moderate; certainly not to loud to have a conversation at a table for four. The waitstaff are typically helpful and ready to make suggestions.

That said, we find eating indoors at Hamersley's can be a bit stuffy at times, and in good weather we always try to eat at one of their outdoor tables next to a small park looking out onto Tremont St. This is just a beautiful location for dinner, both inviting and romantic.

Unfortunately, winter approaches, so we were eating indoors tonight. Gordon Hamersley was front and center cooking in the kitchen.

We ordered a couple of specialty cocktails: a pomegranate cosmopolitan and a "Green Mountain Manhattan made with maple syrup. The cosmopolitan was too sweet, and the flavors in the Manhattan were only okay.

Bread was served that was good but not great tonight. The bread selection can vary, and sometimes the breads are wonderful.

The menu varies seasonally. For an appetizer, I got a curried acorn squash and apple soup served with smoked shrimp. There was Greek yogurt and some green herbs to mix in. This had an interesting and unusual flavor and was very good.

For an entree, I got a special: a veal osso buco (yes, sorry about that) that was excellent. My wife got the pan-roasted lobster with chickpeas, couscous, and spinach that was great. It comes with a spicy sauce that the waiter strongly hinted she should get on the side rather than mixed in and that seemed like the right choice since it overwhelmed the other wonderful flavors on any bite it was added to. We got a side dish of Brussels sprouts with apples and walnuts that was also great.

For dessert, my wife got the pot de creme, which she thought was delicious though seemed less interesting to me. I got the apple upside down cake with maple walnut ice cream, which was incredibly good.

Before tip, the meal (including two drinks and a glass of wine) was $165. This was a lot of food. I have had better meals at Hamersley's but various dishes were really great. The food came extremely quickly, which made things feel a bit rushed, though this seems to have been caused mainly by our snapping up one of the last two orders of the osso buco.

If you haven't been there and like fish (or even if you're only lukewarm on fish), I'd suggest getting the spicy halibut. I've gotten this many times, and it is always amazing. Hamersley's is also known for their roast chicken, which lets you see what a great chef can do with roast chicken but still never seems as interesting to me as some of the other dishes.

Overall, Hamersley's provides a reliably excellent meal, and sometimes the food is just incredibly good. So, if you're willing to brave parking in the South End, this is really a great place to go.

Puritan & Company

Overall rating: 82

Food rating: 84

Puritan & Company: Good food in Inman Square

We've been to Puritan & Company twice now, and the food has been consistently good on both visits. Like most of the other restaurants we seem to end up at, it serves locally sourced modern American cuisine.

The restaurant is in Inman Square and the dining area has a fairly open floor plan, but is so dimly lit that I needed the light from my smartphone to read the menu. The noise level is quite high, but we were given seating at a table near the corner of a bench that allowed us to sit next to each other and this made for a reasonably intimate dining and conversation experience. However, at many other tables we'd have been across from each other and been raising our voices to be heard.

Our waiter was knowledgeable and helpful in selecting food and wine (they serve wine and beer, but not mixed drinks). I had ordered a white wine on his recommendation and he brought a second wine for me to compare, which I ended up choosing, though this was a bit of an unmentioned upsell as that wine was significantly more expensive (though worth it).

Excellent dinner rolls were served with butter. We ordered an appetizer of wild mushrooms served with an egg, arugula, garlic and a thin slice of smoked brioche. This was quite good.

For an entree, I ordered a special: sablefish, served over some greens and a lemony beurre blanc. This was tasty though the portion was fairly small. My wife ordered the other special: a rib eye steak that had been aged in-house and served with hen of the woods mushrooms and celery root. This was also quite good, though we were told it would come medium rare and it was actually very rare.

We didn't get dessert.

Overall it was a good meal at a fairly standard price. We know some people who are really high on Puritan & Company, but while we've enjoyed two meals there, we haven't loved them. Also in Inman Square, though a completely different style of food, Oleana is much better and more interesting at a similar price. A short drive from Puritan & Company and serving similar cuisine is Bergamot, which we think has better food, has larger portions, is somewhat less noisy, and, with their nightly prix fixe, is less expensive. However, Puritan & Company has its own styles and flavors and should be worth a visit.

51 Lincoln Review

Overall rating: 79

Food rating: 79

51 Lincoln: Pretty good, but better food available in the neighborhood

Continuing our trend with Lineage of going back to a restaurant we'd been to once in the distant past, we ate for a second time at 51 Lincoln. We'd been there years ago and had thought it was overpriced for what it offered, but have been hearing good things and thought we should give it another try.

51 Lincoln is in Newton Highlands and like many other restaurants reviewed on this blog features creative preparations of mostly locally sourced foods.

The restaurant includes a bar area with a TV showing sports that is pretty well separated off from the dining area. We had early reservations and despite the restaurant being mostly empty were initially given seats directly in the line of wind gusts when the outside door opened. The hostess was happy to reseat us when asked.

We started out with drinks, ordering a "scarlet martini" that we both thought was excellent. (Later, I ordered an inexpensive Riesling that was awful.) Bread was served with two dips: an interesting tasting hummus, and a tomato/chili. The bread was good and the dips were very good.

For appetizers, we got a poached pear salad, and the preparation of the pears, with a tangy/spicy vinaigrette was excellent. We also got a braised beef ragout served with polenta that was also very good.

If the meal had stopped at this point, we would have concluded we'd been overly harsh in our opinion of 51 Lincoln in the past.

For entrees, we got mahi mahi and chicken under a brick. The preparation of the mahi mahi (pan seared, with roasted butternut squash, oyster beurre blanc, butternut squash chips, fennel and golden beet salad) sounded wonderful but was pretty standard and dull and the mahi mahi was a bit overcooked. The chicken under a brick (chive buttermilk biscuit, chanterelle mushroom ragout, carrot puree) was similarly better on the menu than on the plate where it was pretty dull, though the mushroom ragout went well with the biscuit.

For dessert we got a special: a bread pudding made with mission figs and covered with dark chocolate sauce. This was tasty, but again not nearly as inspired as it sounded.

One definite plus to our visit was the waitress. When my wife asked whether to get the chicken under a brick, or the much more expensive ribeye, she did not try to steer her to the more profitable meal. She also quickly removed the awful wine and didn't charge us for it.

The cost of the meal (with four drinks) and before tip was about $158. Sycamore, about two miles away from 51 Lincoln is similarly priced, has equally good drinks, and the food is tastier and more interesting, and Farmstead Table near Sycamore is somewhat less expensive and also has better food overall.

Unlike with our reassessment after eating at Lineage, I doubt we'll be heading back to 51 Lincoln anytime soon.